Seminole State Social Media Best Practices
Be authentic
Do not misrepresent yourself or Seminole State College. If you are an administrator or manager of an official Seminole State social media site, your posts on that site should represent the views of Seminole State, not your personal views. Transparency helps you earn and maintain your credibility and the credibility of the College’s social media.
Aim for accuracy
Get the facts. Before you post, be certain that the information you’re providing is appropriate and accurate. You’ll help the members of your social media audience more by directing them to the correct department. If you don’t have the answer, it’s OK to be honest and say so.
Study your audience
Identify your audience and what interests them, so you can plan your posts accordingly. By tailoring your posts to meet the needs of your specific audience, you’ll have a better chance of creating engagement on your site.
Honor the College’s Core Values
Remember that anything you post on a social network can be public (even if you adjust your page’s privacy settings) and can have consequences. Keep the College’s Core Values in mind at all times, and exercise good judgment. If you are unsure about whether you should publish a post, then don’t. Get feedback from your supervisor or a co-worker familiar with your social network – more than one person if possible.
Be the first to address your mistakes
In the fast-paced world of social media, mistakes can happen. Be sure to own up to them and correct them quickly. If you edit a post, give your audience a reason (i.e. A person was misidentified in a photo, you mentioned the wrong department, etc.). Also, if you notice a mistake on another Seminole State social media account, let that department know offline, so that the issue can be fixed quickly.
Maintain confidentiality
The College is required to comply with federal regulations including, but not limited to, FERPA and HIPAA. Follow all College policies and procedures related to confidential and proprietary information. Please review Data Classification, Security and Roles (Policy 7.0500).
Add value, not volume
When commenting on another social media site, make sure that you’re adding valuable insight related to the discussion. Your comments should interest the audience for that particular social network. Comments that are self-promoting can be viewed negatively on social networks and may cause you to be banned from the site.
Manage your mood
Respond rather than react to negative comments on your social media site. Complaints can be frustrating, but learn to view them as opportunities to offer assistance to someone who is dissatisfied. After all, if you aren’t aware of an issue, you may never be able to help. So take a moment to think before responding. And remember: If you wouldn’t say it publicly, don’t post it online.
Conversation is key
Social media are less about sending information to an audience and more about providing a venue for online conversation. If you’re doing all the talking, your social media account probably isn’t effective. Engagement is the goal. Define your voice (formal, casual, scholarly, etc.) based on the audience you want to reach and level of interaction you want to achieve. Then let the language in your posts match that tone.